Retail surgery: Decreasing footfall: How can I stand out from competitors?

Many shoppers struggle to successfully articulate the difference between retailers’ offerings because so many marketing strategies are based on price.

Ian Humphris, managing director of marketing agency Life Agency, says: “Retailers will never be able to escape price-led promotions, but if you can’t compete on price, don’t make this the main comparable factor in your communications. Instead, focus on something motivating, something with personality, and something close to everyone’s hearts.

Humphris advises looking at your complete offering and considering what else can make you stand out other than price. Identify the facets of the offering where you can compete – whether it’s product, range or service – and concentrate on communicating those effectively. Do you have the right product range for your target customer group and are your products actually selling? “Look for ways of differentiating your customer service; not everyone is willing to sacrifice quality for lower prices and there’s increasing demand for personal and knowledgeable first-class service,” he says.

Ultimately, you need to work with your customers to find out what’s important to them. Supporting local producers, good causes or issues and promoting it through your marketing is a highly effective way of differentiating your offering while engaging customers and prospects. And as Humphris says: “You don’t need huge advertising budgets either.”